Decannulation device for tracheal tube

ABSTRACT

DECANULATION DEVICE COMPRISING PLUG AND INTEGRALLY MOLDED SIDEWAYS EXTENDING FLEXIBLE WING MEMBER. SHOWN ARE A PAIR OF OPPOSITE WING MEMBERS WHICH MAY BE FLEXED TOGETHER FOR PULLING THE PLUG ENDWISE OUT OF THE TRACHEOTOMY TUBE. CROSSWISE EXTENDING RIDGES ON WING MEMBERS OF STRIP FORM PROVIDE FINGER GRIPS WITHOUT IMPEDING FLEXING.

United States Patent Inventor Merrill L. Ebner Arlington, Mass.

Appl. No. 797,827

Filed Feb. 10, 1969 Patented June 28, 1971 Assignee Carpenter andPaterson Inc.

Cambridge, Mass.

DECANNULATION DEVICE FOR TRACHEAL TUBE 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 128/351, 215/55 Int. Cl A6/m 25/00 Field of Search 128/348-References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1957 Cohen 7/1959 Bel1amy.....5/1963 Nichols 3/1967 Strawn FOREIGN PATENTS 10/1957 France GreatBritain Primary Examiner- Dalton L. Truluck Attorney-John Noel Williamslng.

DECANNULATION DEVICE FOR TRACIIEAL TUBE DECANNULATION DEVICE Thisinvention relates to decannulation devices for use by anesthesiologistsand other medical personnel in decannulation procedures preparatory tothe removal of tracheotomy tubes from patients. Such devices areemployed to obstruct in a controlled manner the passage of air throughthe tracheotomy tube causing the patient to "breathe by" the tube. Thisenables reuse of the nasal and oral passages to begin while having thesafety of the tube in place ready for use should complications beexperienced.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a decannulationdevice which is simple to manufacture. which offers means of bothsecure, noninterfering positioning in the proximal end of thetracheotomy tube and sure and rapid removal in the event of need, andwhich readily adapts to' the production of devices having the variousdegrees of closure desired.

The invention features a central plug member, preferably of circularcross section with an axial opening commensurate with the degree ofclosure desired, and a sideways extending wing member integral with theproximal end of the plug member in a molding of flexible plastic.Advantageously two wing members (preferably with crosswise extendinggrasping ridges) are shaped to be flexed outwardly to a meeting positionin which they can be grasped together by the index finger and thumb ofthe attending physician for removal of the plug. They may be flexed orhave a self-restoring character for return to their protruding position,where they do not interfere with the insertion of catheters or thenormal function of the tracheotomy tube.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparentfrom the following description of a preferred embodiment taken inconnection with the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the decannulation device of thepreferred embodiment, viewed from the proximal end;

FIG. 2 is a vertical view,'partially in cross section;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the plug inserted in the proximal end ofan inner cannula, with the inner cannula inserted within the outercannula, of a tracheotomy tube assembly;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the tracheotomy tube assembly of FIG. 3 takenon line 4-4, and with the outer cannula shown removed.

Referring to the FIGS. the preferred form of the invention comprises aplug having proximal end 12 and distal end 14. To opposite sides of theproximal end 12 are integrally joined two wing members l6, 18, extendingsideways at angles 8 and C to the axis A of plug member 10. The deviceis an integral molding of flexible plastic and each wing member 14 or 16is adapted to flex outwardly toward the axis A when grasped and pulledfor the removal of the plug from the tracheotomy tube 20.

Each wing member comprises a strip form member having a substantiallygreater width w than thickness I, the direction of thickness 1 lying ina plane substantially parallel with the axis A of the plug member.

The device is advantageously molded of flexible plastics such aspolyethylene, which not only gives the flexibility permitting the wingmembers to be flexed toward axis A for removal (see FIG. 2) and to bereturned out of the way (when desired); such flexibility also ensuresthat the plug will slightly deform and grip the inner surface of thetracheotomy tube to ensure its secure positioning.

Referring particularly to FIG. 2 the wing members are formed with length1 sufficient to permit their outer portions to engage face-to-face andbe grasped together for removal of the device, as shown in dotted linesin FIG. 2.

Advantageously the sides of the wing members contacted by the fingersare provided with roughened finger gripping surfaces. In the preferredembodiment this is achieved by ridge form projections 26 extending crosswise to the axis'X of the direction of extension of the wing members,thereby not impedin the ability of the win members to flex.

Ma mg the device amena le to molding to provide varying degrees ofblockage as required is the provision, in the principle of construction,of a central passage which may be varied in diameter from one productionrun to the next, to produce the various blockage characteristicsdesired, e.g. to achieve one-half or three-fourths flow capacityblockage, or total blockage by omitting the passage.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 a plug is shown inserted in the inner cannula20 of a tracheotomy tube. The wing members extend away from the axis,leaving clear opening 13 of the plug.

For a size 7 French inner cannula the plug may for instance befive-eighth inch long, tapering from a size smaller than the cannula atthe distal end to a size larger than the cannula at the proximal end.Typical dimensions for the wings are t=l /20 inch, w=5/l6 inch, length 1inch.

Numerous modifications within the scope of the invention will occur tothe reader.

lclaim:

l. A decannulation device for insertion, at the proximal end, into theinner cannula of a predetermined tracheotomy tube, said devicecomprising a plug member of elastomeric material tapering from a distaldiameter less than the diameter of said cannula to a proximal diametergreater than the diameter of said cannula, a pair of wing membersintegral with the outer peripheral portions of the proximal end of saidplug member, each of said wing members comprising a flexible strip formmember having a substantially greater width than thickness, thedirection of thickness of said wing member lying in a planesubstantially parallel with the axis of said plug member, each said wingmember extending sideways, in the direction away from the axis of saidplug member, from the peripheral portion of said plug member to whichsaid wing member is integrally joined, said wing members being ofsufficient length to permit outer portions of the two wing members toengage and be grasped together for removal of said device, while thesaid joints of said wing members to said plug member leave clear thebody of said plug member, permitting the amount of closure desired.

2. The decannulation device of claim 1 including a central passagethroughout the length of said plug member.

